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vodkaismywater t1_je1jvtr wrote

The Upstairs Bar was such a loss, best tiki bar in the mid Atlantic đŸ˜„

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fightinforphilly t1_je2g4wj wrote

FYI Upstairs Tiki is back in limited capacity!!! Every Tuesday for the last few weeks they’ve been taking over Franklin Mortgage. They’ve hinted at coming back fully, but no news on that yet

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vodkaismywater t1_je2m4yo wrote

WHAT!?

Thanks for the heads up. It was my favorite bar along with fiume pre-covid.

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fightinforphilly t1_je2mvem wrote

Happy to help! I was just there a couple weeks back. Fair warning, the zombie is strong, but delicious.

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vodkaismywater t1_je2q7aq wrote

I believe it. I used to get accidentally toasted there all the time. Those drinks are just so good and don't seem boozy đŸ„Ž

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sheds_and_shelters t1_je1sa9g wrote

The place above Abyssinia? Not sure if it’s changed significantly as I only went there for the first time a few weeks back, but it’s still in operation and delightful.

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jbphilly t1_je1u4lv wrote

No, that's Fiume, it's a great bar but isn't and never was a tiki bar.

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sheds_and_shelters t1_je1ui2w wrote

Ah my mistake, thanks — I saw that it was just called “Upstairs” now so I wasn’t sure if that’s what they were talking about.

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jbphilly t1_je1xm1d wrote

They're using "Upstairs at Abyssinia" as their social media now because the original manager wasn't part of the reopening, and took all the Fiume social media with him. But I and everyone I know are still calling it Fiume.

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CVM525 OP t1_je23dki wrote

Fiume is no longer? I had some great nights in there.

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jbphilly t1_je2mius wrote

No, it's still there. There's just confusion about the name and it was closed for two years starting March 2020.

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ThatsNotFennel t1_je1yxkg wrote

Yeah, it was also the only real tiki bar in the Philly area. The cocktail scene in Philly is pretty rough considering the size of the city.

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ebbycalvinlaloosh t1_je267p2 wrote

Phila. Distilling, R&D, FriSatSun, Vernick have some of the finest and most creative cocktail programs on the East Coast. Also notable. LMNO, Suraya, Condesa, Irwin’s.

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Zfusco t1_je2hmfh wrote

Charlie was a sinner is pretty great as well IMO.

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[deleted] t1_je2w3i3 wrote

[deleted]

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Zfusco t1_je307c5 wrote

I mean I can't speak to their management, I don't even know who that is, but from someone who isn't in the industry, the bartenders make a great drink and are super knowledgeable.

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ThatsNotFennel t1_je2764z wrote

All good spots, but nowhere close to the finest on the East Coast - in my opinion. There's really only one guy in the city who I would classify as world class, and he doesn't even have his own bar in the city.

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Sufficient-Food-3281 t1_je2nezd wrote

We may not have the quantity of a Manhattan, but places like FriSatSun, a.bar, R&D, Ranstead Room absolutely rival the best of the best

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Level-Adventurous t1_je22y8j wrote

A lot of talent left the restaurant industry in Philly over COVID.

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ebbycalvinlaloosh t1_je26exp wrote

False. Some people may have left, but I can assure you based on the fact that I absolutely know whom and what I’m talking about, that the leaders of the cocktail scene in this city pre-Covid are still very much behind the bar or creating bar programs in the city.

Edit: ok maybe only a little false :)

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justanawkwardguy t1_je28h03 wrote

>I absolutely know whom and what I’m talking about

Not a phrase usually said by someone who actually knows what they’re talking about

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Level-Adventurous t1_je28iie wrote

It’s not false to say a lot of talent left the industry in the city. I know people that moved, people that died, people that got into sales or real estate, people who cut their hours back, people who aren’t as passionate as they used to be. I’m not saying there’s still not talent here or that others didn’t step up but dude come on have some self awareness, the industry lost people.

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ebbycalvinlaloosh t1_je29epr wrote

Yeah. I’m one of them, lol. Maybe I’m just looking at a close circle. But I do feel like a lot of the creative leaders behind the bar stuck it out and are still running programs here.

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The_R4ke t1_je4yohq wrote

Yeah, had an absolute blast there celebrating after getting my bartenders license.

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porkchameleon t1_je25ai1 wrote

I was, like, "what bar now?", and then realized it was Franklin Mortgage.

It was quite great, shame it's no more. Those shark cocktails were excellent.

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JBizznass t1_je1xbps wrote

RIP The Yatchtsman. If only you weren’t run by a total scumbag you may have still been with up. ::sigh::

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yzdaskullmonkey t1_je2nb74 wrote

I remember my first day at PYT... "Hey, make sure you race to the bank to cash your check, first come first serve here."

Ah cheers tommy up you prick lol

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medicated_in_PHL t1_je259xu wrote

What’s the story with the owner?

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JBizznass t1_je28bg1 wrote

Tommy Up was well known to be a slime ball in every way.

Also he Didn’t pay his bills: https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2017/05/05/tommy-up-yachtsman-bankruptcy/

He even asked for donations to open up his for profit business in the first place which pissed off a lot of people: https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2014/04/22/fishtown-tiki-bar-the-yachtsman-kickstarter-tommy-up-pyt/

That being said I had lots of fun at the Yachtsman back in the day. If it had been run better and made it to current levels of Fishtown gentrification it would be all the rage.

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jmedennis t1_je2b4bw wrote

Lolllll wait, I think I'm Facebook friends with that guy (we had a ton of mutual friends 10 years ago) was he the one who owned PYT?

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BYOchocolate t1_je1kkwv wrote

RIP the yachtsman.

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exorcizamuste t1_je1nhup wrote

Tin Can Bar in Port Richmond on Somerset and Belgrade is a tiki bar. It doesn't have a lot of tiki decore but has mostly tiki cocktails including a zombie on draft.

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Durandell t1_je1ss58 wrote

Their food is also pretty on point from what I can remember! Definitely worth a look

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JawKneeQuest t1_je2zsz8 wrote

Holy shit this place looks incredible and those prices are wildly low for cocktails

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lanternfly_carcass t1_je3dqwf wrote

The cocktails are on tap and aren't the legit versions. However, it's still really tasty and at a solid price point!

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Emotional-Arrival474 t1_je1jqu1 wrote

Lol, tiki subculture

Check out Pentridge Station when it reopens. Not exactly tiki, but tropical vibes for sure

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Philly_is_nice t1_je2nagf wrote

I thought you'd be a loser to care about tiki themed bars, but this comment section is making me think I'm the loser for not being on this at all 😂

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Dryheavemorning t1_je1lont wrote

Hook and Master has a tiki themed bar.

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JawKneeQuest t1_je1vscu wrote

Their drinks are pretty solid but I've heard they went down hill in the last 3 months.

Last time I was in Royal they were slinging a few solid tiki adjacent cocktails.

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Dryheavemorning t1_je23s8l wrote

Yeah, I've had to quit ordering takeout because I never knew what I was going to get. They also reduced the size of the non-Chicago style pizzas massively at some point. Royal is a great recommendation, I love that place.

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yzdaskullmonkey t1_je2l5hi wrote

Garces can fuck off I wanted that space. Liquid room was sick and gorgeous.

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ProbablyAtDialysis t1_je1t4rj wrote

Heffe Tacos in Fishtown did a Tiki Bar over the summer.

One of the worst overpriced drinks I ever paid for.

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KenzoWap t1_je23mz1 wrote

Can’t believe they’re still open. I’d rather eat my shoe than any of the garbage at Heffe.

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Orionsbelt t1_je2cqjx wrote

I lived right there once upon a time, when they first opened they were fantastic, if I remember correctly they fired most of the staff like 6 months in and everything started gojng downhill

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KenzoWap t1_je2fd5a wrote

They’re still open so they must be doing something right.

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NotUnstoned t1_je2kwyy wrote

It still amazes me that their tagline is “tacos that don’t suck” because it’s a complete lie

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Devin1405 t1_je1yt5n wrote

Two years ago it was Kiki Bar (a friend works for Kiki Vodka and she used/ran the space), then someone took over it and called it Tiki Bar last summer. Lol.

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JawKneeQuest t1_je1wsr3 wrote

After we lost a few good bars and covid hit, home bartending became my Quarantine hobby. My suggestion? Purchase Martin Cate's Smuggler's Cove book, hit up some Jersey and Delaware locations to get better Rum selections, make your own syrups at home (Orgeat is time intensive but not difficult) and watch a few of How to Drink's videos Greg's a little chatty but knows his stuff.

But even sticking to the state stores, you can find both Rhum Barbancourt 8yr and Appleton Estate and 1oz of each makes a solid Mai Tai.

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CVM525 OP t1_je219qn wrote

I stumbled upon Spikes Breezeway Cocktail Hour. It’s pretty fun. I like the whole history of tiki and the secret cocktail recipes

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enlightnight t1_je1xns9 wrote

Great channel. I also recommend Smith & Cross. Solid rum that makes you wonder what captain morgan and bacardi are trying (failing) to do.

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JawKneeQuest t1_je35iov wrote

Heck yeah Smith and Cross is great. I put an oz of that in my Orgeat to help it keep. Also swap that in for Gin sometimes for a "Kingston Negroni"

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Rivster79 t1_je5k1ei wrote

Yes! I recently got into tiki and I highly recommend the total tiki app. You track the ingredients and spirits you have and it tells you what recipes for tiki cocktails you can make. Also r/tiki abs r/cocktails

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hansarai t1_je1lsmr wrote

Romarco’s in Clifton Heights has an outdoor tiki bar

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LizardWizard666666 t1_je4kq3l wrote

This place slaps- stop by the clam for the best seafood and service of your life then come here after! It’s a win win.

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the_ending81 t1_je2icxm wrote

I always forget that’s there- how are the drinks?

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SweetJibbaJams t1_je1tkx4 wrote

R+D in Fishtown has some good tiki or tiki-style drinks, but it's not a tiki bar.

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Jewfros t1_je2bxk0 wrote

This is the only place that can do almost real tiki drinks well

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saerni t1_jeahqzf wrote

Absolutely, basically upscale Tiki on a mid-Century Modern vibe.

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malkith313 t1_je1q7xf wrote

only tiki drinks ive ever had in the city was at Vietnam

11th between race and vine

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Leviathant t1_je1vtei wrote

...or the West Philly location, 816 S 47th Street

Man, I haven't had a Suffering Bastard in years.

Though I haven't been to La Chinesca on Spring Garden, and while it's not Tiki, the Mexicali/Chinese fusion and mid-century theme might hit resonant notes.

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sciencefaire t1_je4ol8d wrote

La chinesca is like palm springs got plopped down in the middle of Philly and I love it.

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sciencefaire t1_je1r549 wrote

I love tiki and we don't really have much here, sadly.

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CVM525 OP t1_je229of wrote

Yea I’m in Delco which is voided of anything fun.

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BetteDavisMidler t1_je2bgc9 wrote

Hah! My husband and I built a tiki bar in our Delco basement, so there is at least one-but alas, it’s members only.

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dustycase2 t1_je1tjcq wrote

Hong Luck north of the city- incredible Chinese food in a tiki bar/diner that’s been there since the 70s.

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CVM525 OP t1_je22f1u wrote

That sounds like a cool vibe

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dustycase2 t1_je23c8t wrote

It is awesome! It’s in Levittown so it’s an only occasional treat but hands down some of the best Chinese food I’ve had ever! I learned about it actually on another Reddit thread. There is a small bar partitioned off with the typical Polynesian style bamboo fencing, taxidermied pufferfish lamps hanging from the ceiling, ceramic coconut cups, tiki menu, etc. all unchanged for 40/50 years. I also have a fondness for tiki. Funny mix of families and laid back road crews tossing beers back. Definitely a unique gem of a place.

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z7q2 t1_je2f2ch wrote

I went there a few weeks after moving to Levittown, and it's one of my favorite places to eat in town. There's a whole social scene going on in the bar area that I've never been privy to, I just go there and enjoy the artisanal Chinese food and the décor.

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dustycase2 t1_je2g2ja wrote

It’s really one of my favorite places in the area.

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HistoricalSubject t1_je1nelh wrote

tiki subculture? follow jimmy buffet around. become a parrot head. you'll be in an acapulco shirt drinking a margarita under an inflatable palm tree in no time. they'll be tikis there too. promise.

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CVM525 OP t1_je1nn4g wrote

Jimmy buffet sucks

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nalgene_wilder t1_je1nxo3 wrote

Jimmy Buffet is awesome, it's the parrotheads that suck

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charizardFT26 t1_je1uyzw wrote

Think they’re called crab catchers now, you know, from Jenna Maroney’s “Catchin’ Crabs in Paradise”

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HistoricalSubject t1_je1zfui wrote

look man, we all know he sucks, but for lonely boomer divorcees perpetually engaged in trying to recapture their youth, he's like therapy. but when they die out, whose going to replace them? this is where i think a tiki subculture, one that OP is looking for, could start to thrive and take over-- in that cultural niche. theres going to be a power vacuum. OP might be able to capture it if they play their cards right.

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chrisvix t1_je1njhc wrote

Taqueria amor is doing their Tiki bar theme currently I think through the summer

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JBizznass t1_je1x1sv wrote

Does anyone remember the pop up tiki bar incident in Fishtown where some a-hole tried to open a ‘private club’ tiki bar in her residential home. That was some hilarious shit!

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GooFoYouPal t1_je32s1t wrote

I remember this haha. from the Fishtown is Awesome page right ? What a couple of douches. Might even surpass some of the cocktail knobs in this thread.

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Texaslabrat t1_je24uon wrote

Tiki subculture is the subculture I didn’t know I needed. Now i just have to wait and inherit all my fathers Tommy Bahama tiki shirts

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Deeblite t1_je22faj wrote

There is a Philly Tiki group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/179597022564794) but there's no tiki bars in the city at the moment. I think the closest is Lee's Hawaiian Islander in Lyndhurst, NJ. I'd like to be proven wrong about that though.

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TooManyDraculas t1_je250hd wrote

No genuine, full on Tiki Bars. But Philly also has a Tiki Guild, basically a Tiki cocktail specific off shoot of the Bartender's Guild. A lot of the more craft oriented bartenders in the city are involved. So it's kind of a low key runner. Pretty reliably at least one bartender at any of the better bars in the city will be able to knock together some classics. Or feature a Tiki drink here and there.

But the cocktail scene is hinky in Philly right now. There's a ton of very talented people hanging around, and too few places with the right focus and interest. So a lot of the more talented cocktail people are working at like distillery tasting rooms or are pulling off surprising things in old school corner bars.

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Deeblite t1_je25f4o wrote

Which is all well and good if the part about Tiki you're into is the cocktails, but for me I'm more interested in the themed decor and the general ambiance.

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TooManyDraculas t1_je2mtms wrote

That is sort of part and parcel of where Tiki is at. A lot of the aesthetic is a bit hinky in terms of stereotype and representation. Along with the history of actually taking what is in effect a tomb stone for a real person and using it to hold up a dart board.

Tiki cocktails have become insanely influential in the craft scene, and historically it really is where a lot of the core of American Bartending developed. But people are cautious about the aesthetic these days. So you'll more often find the drinks without the schtick. Or with an updated take. More pineapples less Hula Girls.

The two takes tend to be leaning into the less problematic ends of kitsch, and then discarding it wholesale for a more upscale beachy thing.

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Indiana_Jawns t1_je254pu wrote

R&D’s menu also seems to have a solid selection of tiki drinks, despite the overall vibe

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ebbycalvinlaloosh t1_je25usv wrote

Get yourself to R&D. They fucks with Tiki cocktails, even if not on the menu.

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outerspace29 t1_je1su3f wrote

Monster Vegan has some tiki drinks on their menu. Their overall decor is decidedly not tiki though

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TheGhostOfKyle t1_je1u1pv wrote

Philly is more of a beer and shot kind of a town. SF is saturated with Tiki Bars.

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sedatedsloth t1_je23xwe wrote

If you find the right folks you will discover a thriving under-the-bridge Luau scene

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Bikrdude t1_je2hawx wrote

We need this in the city

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internet_friends t1_je1uqwn wrote

there's Frankford Tiki Bar but it might only be open in the summer

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amhildreth t1_je231uq wrote

If you don't mind a drive to Clifton Heights, try Romarco's Tiki Bar at 451 E Baltimore Ave. The lighted sign by then road looks straight from 1966

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215NPhilly t1_je267t1 wrote

Nah man
 gotta go to Charlottesville VA for that type of action

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utpxxx1960 t1_je2ki87 wrote

Franklin mortgage does a tiki night every Tuesday

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Maxmutinium t1_je1uus5 wrote

Down the shore I’d imagine

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extant_outis t1_je24cuw wrote

There’s a couple Tiki bars in Delco. Romarco’s in CH as someone mentioned, also Red Lantern in Glenolden. I’ve only been to the latter and it was basically a typical delco dive with tiki decor.

Edit: Red Lantern appears to technically be in Glenolden, not Folcroft.

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bettyknockers786 t1_je2kbe9 wrote

When tf did the red lantern put out tiki decor? đŸ€Ł

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extant_outis t1_je2kp0d wrote

Not sure, it’s in the back and below the front sign for Red Lantern they advertise “Tiki Bar”

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bettyknockers786 t1_je39frl wrote

I haven’t been there in 100 years tbh, but back in the day (early 2000s) you could hardly get a fuzzy navel at that place, much less anything tiki lol

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extant_outis t1_je50fuv wrote

Yeah haha i wouldnt order a fuzzy navel there now either, just a Budweiser. It’s basically just some island-themed decor

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fightinforphilly t1_je2glh7 wrote

Neshaminy Creek Brewing is doing a Creeki-Tiki-Luau on 4/22

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CVM525 OP t1_je2hxp1 wrote

I saw that! I may check that out

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mZelley t1_je2xwtw wrote

Does Morgan’s pier qualify? Outdoor, on the river, quasi tiki decor, fancy drinks, not outrageously expensive. Occasional good show there too. Didn’t see it mentioned but maybe I don’t know what a real tiki bar is.

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fightinforphilly t1_je3c7qb wrote

Morgan’s Pier is a fun spot but isn’t authentic tiki unfortunately. A true tiki spot is always indoors and dimly lit, with rum drinks like Mai Tais, Painkillers, and Zombies.

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Fine-Confidence4792 t1_je303es wrote

I grew up going to Pub Tiki on the 1700 block of Walnut Street in Rittenhouse.

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Steevotion t1_je1xaty wrote

Foto Club, back yard during summer

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smug_masshole t1_je1xicu wrote

Honestly, your best bet is the Beachbum Berry Total Tiki app and some trips across the bridge to some proper liquor stores in NJ.

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TheRhythmace t1_je249cz wrote

Tiki Bob’s needs to remain dead

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time4nap t1_je2gcsd wrote

Tiki creekside bar in Boyertown is supposed to be a good time in the summer - about an hour - but u need a car to get there

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in_Need_of_peace t1_je27mhj wrote

Spring Mountain in the burbs has a tiki bar, it’s a hike and gives off hepatitis vibes

0

mel881 t1_je1o88f wrote

Go to the shore?

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hammysandy t1_je1wz1c wrote

I'll bet a lot of places don't want the tiki association after those Charlottesville alt right shit fucks gave them a bad name

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